Utilities gradually replace traditional means for managing and controlling the consumption and quality of electrical power, water, or gas with intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). For example, IEDs used by electrical utilities include digital power and/or energy meters, digital electric power quality analyzers, electronically-controlled Remote Terminal Units, protective relays, fault recorders, and the like apparatuses.
In operation, the IEDs provide a broad range of monitoring, reporting, and billing functions, adapted for receiving/transmitting information over communication networks, and may support a plurality of user-selectable features. However, there is still a need for an IED capable of protecting a user-selectable portion of operational features thereof from an access by unauthorized personnel who, intentionally or unintentionally, may cause the IED to produce or communicate incorrect or corrupted data (for example, erroneous power, energy, or revenue readings) or damage the IED. Therefore, further improvements in the IEDs would be desirable.